Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand. She is represented in New Zealand by a Governor-General, currently Sir Anand Satyanand. The Realm of New Zealand also includes the Cook Islands, Tokelau, and Niue in the Pacific; as well as the Ross Dependency in Antarctica.

When will we stop pretending we are a South Pacific outpost of the Windsor family who reside in London? Betty Windsor is the Queen of England. She's still ours, too

MARG

03-07-2010 05:44 AM

:previous: What's that? New Zealand has Stars? Not many and definitely not too shiney. As for speaking for the average Kiwi? I think not!

Princejohnny25

03-07-2010 12:53 PM

I know what you mean, general consesus seems to be it aint broke so why fix it. There are trying as hard as they can to get a republican feeling stirring but nothing will happen until Australia becomes a republic and even then, perhaps more people will want to keep the monarchy to create a great difference between us and Oz.

I know what you mean, general consesus seems to be it aint broke so why fix it. There are trying as hard as they can to get a republican feeling stirring but nothing will happen until Australia becomes a republic and even then, perhaps more people will want to keep the monarchy to create a great difference between us and Oz.

Never was a truer word said! There is enough shudders still wracking the country over MMP, and some legend in their own lunchtime "Star", propounds the theory that all we plebs will baa baa our way to the polls to elect a President?

It aint broke, so we sure as hell aint going to fix it? "Stars" should be encouraged to remember that they are their own bigest fans and keep their pontifications to the really "meaty" issues facing them . . . . like the merits of plastic surgery!

Most people in New Zealand reject the idea of turning the country into a republic with a New Zealander serving as head of state, according to a poll by Research New Zealand. 53 per cent of respondents oppose this notion.

Conversely, 32 per cent of respondents think New Zealand should cease to be a constitutional monarchy and become a republic.

The Queen got an 84th birthday present from New Zealand today when the country's parliament threw out a long-awaited attempt to abolish the monarchy.

A Bill to create a referendum asking voters whether they wanted to keep a British monarch as their head of state or elect their own president was defeated by 68 votes to 53 at its first reading amid an upsurge in support for the Royal Family among ordinary New Zealanders.

At The Queen’s request, new rules for the granting and use of the title “The Right Honourable” will apply in New Zealand to preserve an important mark of distinction for the holders of the Nation’s highest public offices.

Henceforth, those appointed to the offices of the Governor-General, Prime Minister, Speaker and Chief Justice will be granted the title “The Right Honourable” ex officio, for life. This will bring a measure of association and continuity with the recent past; formerly, the most senior members of the Judiciary and the Executive in New Zealand gained this right upon appointment to the Privy Council, a practice which no longer exists.

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This appears to be a personal initiative by the Queen, not by the current government. It wouldn't have surprised me if the government had made such a move, seeing as how knighthoods were recently restored to the New Zealand honours system, but the PM says that he was approached by Buckingham Palace.

RJ TAYLER

08-09-2010 08:16 AM

It is about time that style is adopted across the Tasman as well. After all it 'would' bring New Zealand's near-neighbour into line with the other Commonwealth Realms.